Or, those countries are trying to regulate AI.
Hard to feel bad for EU/UK. They tried their best to remain relevant, but lost in the end (talent, economy, civil rights).
We didn't regulate adtech and now we're stuck with pervasive tracking that's hurting society and consumer privacy. Better to be more cautious with AI too so we can prevent negative societal effects rather than trying to roll them back when billions of euros are already at play, and thus the corporate lobby and interests in keeping things as they are.
We didn't regulate social media algorithms which started optimising for hate (as it's the best means of "engagement") and it led to polarisation in society, the worst effects of which can be seen in the US itself. The country is tearing itself apart. And we see the effects in Europe too. Again, something we should have nipped in the bud.
And the problem isn't mainly the tech. It's the perverse business models behind it, which don't care about societal diruption. That's pretty hard to predict, hence the caution.